Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Sculpture (15)

Very rare cast bronze sculpture of the Chinese monk Xuanzang with a pile of Buddhist scriptures rolled up and stacked in the pack on his back and a lotus leaf over his head from which dangles an incense burner, as he returns to China from India.
In his hands he was holding a scroll and a fly whisk that are now missing. Figure stands on an irregularly shaped base. Japan, mid Edo period, 18th century.
Height incl. base ca. 5.25 inches (13.3 cm).
Hands slightly damaged.

Genjo Sanzo (Chin. Xuangzang) was a monk who went to India. Founder of the Hanya sect. He usually appears as one of the sixteen good spirits, rarely by himself.

Wooden figure of a lion, companion to Fugen bosatsu. On his back he carries a lotus base, on which Fugen used to sit (figure missing). The lion stands on high and slightly stiff legs, each foot positioned on a small lotus base.
The figure has been carved out of several blocks of wood that were subsequently assembled into the final figure. This technique is called yosegi saiku and was widely used for complex sculptures like these. The tail is stuck into the back, remaining loose. The lotus base on the back is made is in two segments, loosely inserted into the back with a wooden peg.
The rather folky character of it makes it an extremely charming piece.

Japan, Muromachi period, 15/16th century.

Height 17 ½ in., length 21 in., depth 6 ½ in. (44.5 x 53 x 17 cm).

Some edges of the different blocks chipped, chip to lotus base, chips to the tips of mane on head and to hair tufts at legs, all commensurate with age. All in all in very good and stable condition.

Very unusual pair of komainu or guardian dogs to a Shinto or Buddhist shrine. The lef one has its mouth open and has drooping ears, the right one keeps its mouth closed and has the ears perked up. Very fine and smooth bronze cast with rich brown patination.
Makers mark chiseled into the bottom of each lion dog. The name consists of a single character that can be read in a variety of ways: Yasushi, but also Hiroshi, Yutaka, Toru or Akira; followed by "saku" or "made by".
Japan, late 19th century.

Height: left 9 inches, right 9.1 inches (22.8 and 23.2 cm).

Excellent condition.

They seem to be modeled after a pair of Kamakura period komainu, made of wood, in the Daiho shrine in Shiga prefecture, which are deemed Important Cultural Assets.

Rare pair of shrine guardians in the shape of foxes, both sitting on a two tiered elevation. The right one holds a moving jewel in its mouth, the left one a stick. Middle brown, dense wood with a beautiful patina where hands touched the backs and heads of the foxes and the bases. Red staining on inside of ears, inside the mouths, in nostrils. Crystal eyes. Bases made of the same wood. Bases inscribed: Hono, Osaka, shinshachu (in faith of mankind); Hokkinin (sponsors), Osaka, Minami Horie, jogo: one base with the name Umezaki Jisaburo, the other with the name Shimezaka Jihei. The bottoms of the bases signed in black ink: Sowajima … minami … Shitakawa Yasujiro chokoku (carved by Shitakawa Yasujiro). Japan, Meiji period.
Height with base: ca. 27 in. (ca. 70 cm), height base: ca. 9 ¾ in. (ca. 25 cm).
Fox with jewel: short crack at right hindpaw, cracks in the body that show less or worse, depending on temperature/humidity, few abrasion and chips at feet. Fox with stick: cracks in the body that show less or worse, depending on temperature/humidity, few abrasion and chips at feet, stick of later date. All in all very good condition.

Minami Horie is a district in Osaka, west of the quarter of Minami, where the bunraku, kabuki and no theaters are. The pieces must have been standing in front of a Shinto shrine that no longer exists today.

Sculpture of a priest sitting with his legs crossed, his hands positioned on his knees, formerly holding a scroll and a rosary. He wears a robe, carved in low relief, with the usual square pattern in red and green typical of a priest’s robe. His face is very rich in expression, his bare chest clearly shows his ribcage.
Wood with a polychrome lacquer layer on top of gesso.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.

Height 18.5 in., width 17.25 in., depth 12 in.

Beautiful patina. The lacquer rubbed in places, partly down to the bare wood, lacquer stabilized, some thin cracks in the lacquer surface, but basically in good and stable condition.

Sculpture of a long-nosed tanuki, walking with a hat on its back and a flask in its left paw. The piece is built around a large piece of root wood that comprises the torso, legs, the enlarged scrotum and tail. The head is a separate piece of root wood, the ears inserted. The sake flask is a small piece of root wood, and the hat is carved from a slab of a different wood species.

Hat and sake bottle are attached to the tanuki with braided silk cords.

Mingei.

Root wood with black staining.

Japan, Meiji-Taisho era early 20th century

H 15.5 in.

Thin cracks around the neck, where the head is attached to the body. Black stain is flaking. Other small chips and thin cracks commensurate with age and materials used. All in all, still in very good condition.

More images available upon request

A “wood-grain carving” figure of a minogame, a turtle with a long tail of algae growing from its carapace. Carved out of Jindai-sugi (Japanese cedar wood) in such a way that the wood grain accentuates the skin on the legs and head, the protrusions of the carapace and the algae.

Unsigned. Meiji era, early 20th century, Japan

L 18 x W 8.25 x H 3.75 in.

Few scuffs and dents that do not disturb the beauty of the piece.

Jindai sugi wood is old wood from the Japanese cedar that is said to be a thousand to several thousand years old, found buried in lake beds or marshes. The iron content of the wood gives it a deep grey-brown sometimes black, rich color. Most of the carvings made of jindai sugi are toads. Any other animal imaged in this wood is relatively rare.

A minogame is a turtle with long strands of algae growing from its shell. The way the algae flow down from the shell, they resemble a farmer’s raincoat made of straw, called a mino. Hence the name minogame. In order to grow such algae, the turtle is considered to be extremely old. It is considered a symbol of longevity.

Study of an elephant holding a piece of wood with its trunk, his skin hanging loosely about him. Dark brown patinated, light weight wood, the eyes inlaid in buffalo horn, the tusks bone. Japan, 19th century.
Length: 15.5 inches (39.1 cm)
Pupil to one eye missing, otherwise fine condition.

Wooden sculpture of Shichimen Daimyojin in sitting pose, one leg crossed over the other. She sits on the summit of mount Shichimen, her shoes by her side, holding a golden jewel in her left hand and another object, likely a key that is now missing. On the back in red lacquer an donation inscription with the date of Tenpo 7 (1836). Polychrome decorated wood with finish for protection of pigments, gilt metal crown, glass or crystal eyes. Japan, late Edo period.
Height 20 3/8 inches (51.9 cm).
Some cracks in the wood, flaking lacquer at the base, some cracks in the lacquer on the figure, stabilized with clear finish, all in all in stable condition.
Shichimen Daimyojin is the protectress of Minobu, the site of temple Kuonji, general quarters of the Nichiren sect and burial place of the founder of the sect. Mount Shichimen is south of Minobu.

Black patinated, cast bronze sculpture of a monkey, seated with his arms around his knee.
Unsigned. Stamped in the flat bottom: Yamanaka & Co. Inc., and Made in Japan.

Japan, early Showa era, 1920s-1930s.

H 1.75 x D 1.6 in.

Two small casting flaws that were repaired at the time of production.

The stamp ‘Made in Japan’ was required for objects exported to the US and other western countries in the 1920s and 1930s. The stamp of Yamanaka & Co. indicates that the piece was made for Yamanaka & Co., to be sold in one of their stores outside of Japan.
Yamanaka & Co. was founded in the 1910s by Yamanaka Sadajiro, who had come to New York in 1894 and set up a small antique store in Chelsea. In 1917 the Fifth Avenue gallery was opened, followed by branch offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Paris, Shanghai and Beijing.

Wooden figure of an unidentified patriarch of one of the many Buddhist sects, sitting on a double base. He sits in the classic posture with the soles of his feet laid together. From underneath his left sleeve pops out a ryui scepter. His widely spread-out red garment is decorated with flower designs in gold, as are the sides of the upper part of the base he is sitting on. His head is covered with a black cloth with traces of flower decoration in gold. Although to date unidentified, the garment and the base indicate a patriarch or a member of the priesthood. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height 5 1/2 in., width 5 7/8 in., depth 4 in.
Some paint chipping off, few cracks along the seams of the wooden blocks, something missing on the back (hole), face and head cloth with restoration. Ryui scepter repaired. Basically in good and stable condition with traces of age.

Daruma standing tall, wrapped tightly in his garment, the tips of his feet just peeping out. This pose is associated with the episode in which Daruma travels to China, crossing the river Yangzi, while standing on a reed.
The figure was molded in a cast in two halves and joined before firing. A hole in the back functions as a vent and prevents the statue from exploding while fired in the kiln.
Stoneware with gomma. Details are beautifully worked out, showing best in the expression on his face.
Two small characters impressed in the back, forming the name Bizen.

H 7.75 inches

Japan, Bizen/Inbe, early 20th century

Excellent condition

Gomma (sesame seed) is created by the ash of the pinewood with which the kiln is fired. It lands on the object and melts due to the high temperature. Gomma cannot be steered, it occurs spontaneously. It occurs more profusely near where the fire is. The ashes blow into the kiln flowing on the flames. The further away from the fire, the less ashes remain flowing through the air.

Sculpture of the Bodhisattva Jizo, standing with a jewel in his left hand. His right hand points down to the earth in a welcoming gesture. The sculpture was built according to the yoseki saigu technique of separate blocks. Originally a layer of gesso covered the wood, over which black lacquer. The lacquer and gesso have come off from most of the sculpture, revealing finely written sutras or Buddhist texts in black ink all over the body of the figure.
Mounted on an black base with Velcro

Japan, Edo period, 18th century

H 19 in.

Some small, old chips, most lacquer and gesso missing.

Sculpture of Fudo standing in front of a flaming halo from which three phoenix heads emerge. Fudo holds his sword in his right hand, his rope in his left. His flaming halo is curved, surrounding him in a dramatic way.
Exquisite carving in very soft wood, probably cryptomeria (sugi), lightly stained with a shade of darker brown.
Japan, Meiji period.

Height 10.6 in. (27.6 cm).

Excellent condition

Travel shrine, or zushi, with sitting figure of Kukai, carved in wood. The founder of the Shingon sect sits on a low pedestal, his shoes put underneath. In his left hand he holds the rosary, in the right he formerly held a vajra. Figure carved in plain wood, the pedestal decorated in gold and the typical red, white, green and blue. The inside of the doors decorated with lotus flowers in dull gold lacquer on shining gold lacquer. On the curtain above a decoration of manji and garlands in the same technique. The outside case in black lacquer with gilt and engraved hard ware. Inside: tip of curtain and vajra missing. Outside: short crack in each of the doors, some traces of usage. Height of case 5 3/8 inches; height of figure 2 3/8 inches.